Two students have died and others are being treated in hospital as health officials try to establish why meningitis has spread so rapidly.
More than 100 students in Kent have been turned away while trying to get a meningitis vaccine after officials closed the queue.
The University of Kent said it had closed the vaccine queue on its Canterbury campus “due to capacity” because it needed to finish the clinic by 5pm.
More than 100 people who had been waiting for a jab were turned away, according to Press Association estimates of the queue size.
In a Facebook post on the day confirmed or suspected meningitis cases rose to 27, the university said: “The queue has been closed as nursing staff are unable to see any more people within the clinic’s remaining opening hours today.
“The team have been working incredibly hard to vaccinate as many people as possible.”
The university said the vaccination clinic will reopen on Friday from 9am to 5pm, and advised people to be in the queue by 2pm.
At 4.10pm on Thursday, students were still trying to join the queue but security staff turned them away.
Dozens who had already been waiting in line were also told to go home.
Those trying to join were told that medical staff administering vaccines had to work out how many people they could fit in before the service officially closed at 5pm.
It is understood staff wanted to vaccinate the final person at 4.30pm, in order to give them enough time to sit during the necessary 15-minute observation period to ensure they had no immediate side-effects.
Earlier on Thursday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said more people affected by the meningitis outbreak will be vaccinated.
Mr Streeting said anyone who attended local venue Club Chemistry from March 5 until March 15 would be offered the jab, alongside sixth-formers at four schools and other university students in Canterbury.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that as of 5pm on Wednesday, 15 cases of meningitis have been confirmed and a further 12 are under investigation.
This takes the total to 27 cases of either confirmed or suspected meningitis, up from 20 on Wednesday. Two students have died in the outbreak.
Currently, nine of the 15 confirmed cases are known to be caused by menB.
On a visit to the University of Kent, Mr Streeting said: “We are now encouraging anyone who attended Club Chemistry from March 5 until it voluntarily closed to come forward for both antibiotics and vaccination.
“Furthermore, we’re expanding vaccination to anyone who’s previously been offered the prophylactic antibiotic.
“That will include a large number of students here at the University of Kent.
“And it will include some students at Canterbury Christchurch University.
“It will also include sixth-formers at four schools where there are known or suspected cases.
“These are proportionate steps to help us contain spread and we’re keeping that situation under review.”
More than 8,500 antibiotics have been now given to eligible people in Kent amid a meningitis outbreak.
A student who went to Club Chemistry on March 12 was turned away from the vaccine queue on Thursday.
Hayden Taylor, 19, a radiography student at Canterbury Christ Church, arrived at the campus vaccine clinic at around 3pm on Thursday.
He told PA: “I had the antibiotics already. We already knew it was going to be busy.”
Isobel, 21, an English literature student at the University of Kent, was turned away after her mother drove them 80 minutes to the centre.
Speaking to PA, Isobel, who chose not to give her last name, said: “My mum has had to drive me an hour and 20 minutes to get the vaccine.
“It is very inconvenient. I’m coming back tomorrow and hope that they have got some.”
